tux luxe

Marlene Dietrich made it transgressive, Yves Saint Laurent made it chic,
From transgressive to darkly chic to quirky. A woman in a tux is never boring.

From Marlene Dietrich to Emma Watson, when a woman wears a tuxedo, it creates Presence. I’ve always wanted to be the kind of woman who could make an entrance in a full-on tuxedo, but on me all that stiffness and structure just doesn’t work, either with my body or style persona.

But mixing a tuxedo-esque jacket with softer or casual pieces…now that might be the ticket…

Dress up or dress down a tux jacketJacket: Karl Lagerfeld
Luxe: Wendy Brandes jewelry here and here | Eileen Fisher top | Karl Lagerfeld pants | Rebecca Minkoff bag | Nicholas Kirkwood shoes
Laid-back: Ray Ban glasses| French Kande necklace | Eileen Fisher tee and jeans | Givenchy bag | Tabitha Simmons boots (similar look, less pricey)

Like its velvet cousin, a tuxedo jacket can glam up basic separates. It can be worn over a dress, or give an I-planned-it-this-way edge to jeans and a tee. A lot of brands are currently offering a version of the tuxedo jacket and they are available in all price ranges (many on sale too).

Is there a version of the tuxedo jacket in your wardrobe? How do you wear it?

TUXED UP:

If there’s anything from J.Crew on your wishlist, get up to 30% off with code MERRYMERRY.

Madewell is offering extra 30% off sale items off with code MERRIEST.

Nordstrom still has a lot of Eileen Fisher on sale.

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16 Comments

  1. Menswear always works on women because, inexplicably, it emphasizes their innate femininity. While giving them gravitas. For a Halloween costume this year, I bought a white dinner jacket which is very dashing. I learned the difference in types of collars (notched; peaked; shawl) and picked shawl both because it best matched my look (Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca”) and because it’s the most elegant.

  2. Yves St Laurent tux jackets for women are to die for. I remember seeing a photo of the great Catherine Deneuve in one of his tuxedos once. She looked, as one may expect from la Grande Catherine, perfect. Thank you for selecting a few choice items for your readers, as always. I went to JCrew last week and did some damage! Ooops. Happy Holidays! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

  3. Diane Keaton is a beautiful woman, but she reminds me of Charlie Chaplin when she does menswear. I think it’s the hats she chooses.

  4. Such an important part of a woman’s style, knowing what she can do or not do and then being creative enough to adapt a look to meet one’s own needs. I love a menswear look but always want to pair it with something ultra feminine. I think that takes away from something looking too “eccentric”
    Accidental Icon
    http://www.accidentalicon.com

  5. I adore a tuxedo look on a woman. Tux trousers are very easy to do; yes, the jacket has more challenges. I especially love the photo of Marlene Dietrich in a tux, no bones about it. I would love to thrift a tux jacket but in the men’s section they are usually big, stiff, and boxy, to the point of being overwhelming, and it’s rare to find them in a woman’s cut. I’ll never give up the hunt.

    1. mamavalveeta, if you check the widget toward the bottom of the post, I have included versions from Loft, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor and J.Crew. Many of these retailers are having sales or offering % off promotions right now.

  6. Last year I bought a tux jacket & pants from Banana Republic. The jacket has a satin shawl collar, and the fabric is a nice weight black wool. I’ve worn it with a beaded silk camisole and gunmetal beaded stiletto sandals. Also wore the pants with a sparkly cardigan. I don’t think it’s at all stiff or masculine on me.

  7. I’ve had at least one on the go throughout my working life which I used as outerwear when going to black tie events, perfect with long formal evening dresses. On reflection, I think the look I was channelling was that of oh so many a leading lady for whom the party carried on after the ball into the wee hours, and whose shoulders were tenderly draped by the gallant leading gentleman’s tux to protect her from the early morning chill as they wandered along the slowly awakening Paris streets …

  8. Some years ago I had a tuxedo made for women, worn with a sheer black blouse (with a camisole underneath, although with the jacket buttoned that wasn’t really necessary). I wore it to a retirement dinner for one of my work partners. The attendees were virtually all male, and I was astounded at the favorable reaction I got. Maybe it was because they were used to seeing me in work clothes, although they certainly had seen me in cocktail dresses or gowns at other events. It was, I think, what Shybiker says, that it inexplicably emphasized my femininity.

  9. Love the look of a tuxedo jacket and/or pants, as well as the full on look – and I like the harder edge it creates. In fact, I’ve worn a tux with a backless shirt – which adds some serious drama when you take off the jacket. Of course, I’ve also worn my jackets with leather pants and band tees – as well as evening gowns and cocktail dresses – so everyone can take my opinion with a full shaker of salt!